I have known both joy and suffering, but perhaps no more than most. In my early years, my parents divorced and my life was torn apart. As an adolescent, I survived cancer through radiation therapy, and a related brain tumor as an adult. I have known the joys of family, marriage, fatherhood, several opportunities to apply my mind to challenging careers. All of these have been enriched through my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ayn Rand characterizes the philosophy of her detractors, the looters, as a philosophy of suffering and doom. Any worldview that places an arbitrary entity (an entity other than the self) above the self, is quenching/inhibiting the joy of the individual. It must be. But Ayn Rand doesn't consider ALL of the ways that joy comes to individuals.
The premise of John Piper's book, Desiring God, is that God is the ultimate fulfillment of our longing for joy. He puts that longing in our heart, and leads us to the only stream that flows with living water: Himself.
The prayer of Augustine reflects that longing: "Lord, our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Joy and Suffering
I have known both joy and suffering, but perhaps no more than most. In my early years, my parents divorced and my life was torn apart. As an adolescent, I survived cancer through radiation therapy, and a related brain tumor as an adult. I have known the joys of family, marriage, fatherhood, several opportunities to apply my mind to challenging careers. All of these have been enriched through my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ayn Rand characterizes the philosophy of her detractors, the looters, as a philosophy of suffering and doom. Any worldview that places an arbitrary entity (an entity other than the self) above the self, is quenching/inhibiting the joy of the individual. It must be. But Ayn Rand doesn't consider ALL of the ways that joy comes to individuals.
The premise of John Piper's book, Desiring God, is that God is the ultimate fulfillment of our longing for joy. He puts that longing in our heart, and leads us to the only stream that flows with living water: Himself.
The prayer of Augustine reflects that longing: "Lord, our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee."
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3 comments:
Beautifully said!
Exactly! And just what I needed to hear. I haven't slept for two nights, worrying obsessively about stuff going on in the world. (I work in downtown Denver, where a man was arrested last week because he's alleged to be involved in making bombs to blow up buildings in big cities).
However, with all the strife in the world, it's best to keep things in perspective and remember what's most important, our relationship with our Creator.
Thanks for sharing, Mark.
Karen
Good blog! I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking seriously about Christianity and objectivism.
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